Meet the Author

The FermentedlyChallenged blog has been retired since the end of October 2016. It has been a great 9 year run. Thanks to all the readers and brewery staff for all your support in the past. I'm living in the Denver metro area and working in the Cable TV industry now. Cheers and enjoy beer responsibly. Follow along on social media - @ChipperDave on Twitter and on Facebook.

Friday, November 28, 2008

For people who are just getting into homebrewing beer, selecting the right equipment to use for making your brew may seem to be an intimidating task. There are so many choices out there for items to make beer with. So before you go out and buy equipment you've got to do a little homework before you buy. One of the first pieces of equipment you'll need to buy is a brew kettle and depending on how and what you want to brew will determine which brew kettle is right for you. I've done some research and thought I'd post some findings during my search for the perfect brew kettle.

Consider your batch size first

I plan to make small batches initially, up to 5 gallons at a time to start out with. I want to get a brew kettle that can grow with me and big enough to avoid boil overs. A 5 gallon brew pot is essentially too small to boil with, particularly if you want to do a full boil. So a bigger brew pot is definitely in my scope.

Brew kettles come in all sizes and are generally measured in quart capacity. There are 24 qt (6 gal), 32 qt (8 gal), 40 qt (10 gal), 60 qt (15 gal), 80 qt (20 gal) and some as big as 220 qt (55 gal). In considering the right size brew kettle for my budding young brewing career, I fear that a 15 gallon brew pot might be way too big for what I plan on doing for the first year or so. I could easily get away with using a 40 quart (10 gal) kettle. Yet, several homebrewers I've talked with tell me that eventually I'm going to want to brew bigger batches and may as well consider a 15 gallon pot to start out if I could afford it.
The thinking is, if you buy a larger brew pot now, you won't have to go back later and spend a lot more to get a bigger pot. I suggest you get a kettle that can grow with you. Some manufacturers recommend buying a pot twice the size of your desired finished batch size so that you can account for evaporation loss and avoid boil over.

You want to have a big enough brew pot so that you can do a full batch boil, if you want, plus have enough extra room to add in more water to make up for the evaporation that will occur. If your kettle is too small, you'll eventually run into a situation where your wort will boil over the top of your kettle as it foams up. So adding some extra boil space is highly suggested.

I can envision eventually having a nice semi-professional brewing system in my garage where I can have three large kettles for sparging, mashing and boiling, so perhaps for me a 15 gallon kettle is the size to start.

Evaluating the different brands of kettles

So what are the popular kettles on the market these days? Most of the stainless steel brew kettles sold today are typically made with 18-8 gauge stainless steel and have thick bottoms to help distribute heat evenly. However, there are some thinner and cheaper alternatives out there. Here is a rundown of what I've found. The majority of the brands evaluated will be the 15 gallon size.

Blichmann Boilermaker G2

This is probably considered one of the top of the line brew kettles. They come in sizes ranging from 10 gallon up to 55 gallon sizes. Blichmann kettles come with a stainless steel lid, a spigot for draining wort or hot water, a built-in temperature gauge and a capacity gauge to see how much liquid is in the kettle. Prices range between $315 all the way up to $690. The 15 gallon size costs around $415 and must be ordered through a retailer and shipped from Blichmann directly. This can take up to 3 weeks. The 15 gal kettle is about 16" wide and 19" tall. Optional accessories include: false bottoms, hop blockers, quick connectors, auto-sparges and electric heat coils.Price a Blichmann G2 kettle.

MegaPot

MegaPot 1.2™ is a stainless steel brew kettle available in 8,10, 15, 20 and 30 gallon capacities. Every detail has been thought through to enhance the homebrewing experience. The heart of the kettle is a 4mm thick Tri-Clad bottom- made specifically for even heat distribution. The 1.2 proportion of MegaPot has been scientifically designed to promote a vigorous boil and reduce off-flavors. This brand is built well and can save you some dollars over Blichmann. Prices with ball valve and a thermometer run from $180 (8 gal) up to $400 (30 gal).Price a MegaPot.

Tall Boy Brew Kettle

These heavy duty stainless steel Tall Boy® Kettles are proportioned to an optimal height to diameter ratio of 1.2. Brewing science indicates that this is the ultimate ratio for home brewing. The Tall Boy® Kettle optimizes yield by promoting a vigorous boil, helpful in volatilizing off-flavors. It also minimizes losses from evaporation. The Tall Boy® Kettles feature a 4mm tri-clad bottom (aluminum sandwiched between stainless steel) that reduces hot spots and minimizes scorching. This is a decent brew kettle at a price worth considering. The Tall Boy logo is etched into the kettle. Sizes range from 8, 10 to 15 gallon with prices ranging from $99 to $160. Price a Tall Boy Brew Kettle.

Brew Magic / Sabco Kettles

For those of you interested in brewing from a converted beer keg, then Brew Magic may have a line that will interest you. Brew Magic (aka Sabco) takes either new or used kegs and converts them into professional quality brewing kettles. These converted kegs can also have all of the same features as the other retail brands. These converted kegs do come at a premium price however, as their 15 gallon "keggles" typically run between $1959 to $549 depending on accessories and newness of the keg. Considered by many to be the perfect kettle and well worth it, if you can afford it. Price a Sabco Kettle.

Other brands

For those on a more tighter budget, there are some cheaper alternatives. Bayou Classic makes a no frills stainless steel 15 gallon pot for $119. Winco USA makes a nice kettle for $190. Be aware that some of these brands may have much thinner walls than other pots.

You may also consider getting an aluminum pot. Aluminum is known for better heat distribution but also rumored to possibly change the taste of your beer a bit. 15 gallon aluminum pots range in price from $55 (Thunder Pot) up to $160 for a pot found on Amazon.com. Aluminum pots typically have walls between 4mm to 6mm thick.

Please note: prices on all kettles are subject to change at any time. Please check retailer's prices carefully before making any purchases.

Build your own kettle

For those who are extremely handy with a welding torch or know a friend who is, you can pick up a used clean keg very cheaply (some as low as $15 on Craigslist or at your local brewer) and convert it into a kettle yourself. Add all the accessories you want and you can have a nice 15 gallon brew kettle for well under $100.

Please note, most empty kegs are the property of a local brewer and cannot be purchased from liquor stores. Always check with your local brewery first for used kegs they no longer wish to use. In some cases they may part with a decent one for less than $50.View a video on how to convert a keg into a kettle.

Summary

Hopefully, this information has given some of you food for thought in considering which brew kettle to buy. I recommend shopping around for the best value and checking out the various homebrew forums on the Internet to get more opinions on certain brands before pull out your wallet. Once you've obtained your 1st brew kettle you're well on your way to getting ready for brewing day. Happy Homebrewing!